The Columbus Blue Jackets and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman are among the mourners attending the funeral of brother and sister Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were killed in a drunken driver’s accident while riding their bicycles in New Jersey.
A memorial service for the Gaudreau brothers will be held at noon Monday at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Media, Pa. Johnny, an all-star for the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets, was known as “Johnny Hockey,” and Matthew, who played college hockey with his brother at Boston College, died the day before his sister’s wedding.
From Columbus to South Jersey and Boston College, where Gaudreau played, many members of the hockey community are expected to join family and friends at the funeral. Johnny was 31 and Matthew was 29.
The brothers were mourned across the sports world, including in Columbus, Ohio, where Gaudreau signed as a free agent with the small-market Blue Jackets in 2022 after receiving more lucrative free-agent offers from other teams, including New Jersey. Fans and Blue Jackets players gathered for a moving candlelight vigil last week, and a similar gathering was held in Calgary.
Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell said the entire team will attend the funeral. Bettman and former BC coach Jerry York are expected to be among the many attendees.
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“The way they walked around campus and the fun they had with the players every day was really fun,” Boston College assistant coach Mike Ayers said. “They’re both very talented hockey players, but they’re also great people to be around and make everything fun to be around.”
A GoFundMe fundraiser set up by Matthew’s widow, Madeline, to support the baby boy due in December has surpassed $600,000, with nearly 9,000 donors, including NHL players and their families.
“He didn’t make millions like Johnny did and he didn’t get a pension from the Players’ Association,” said Michael Myers of the ECHL’s Worcester Railers, where Matthew played for two seasons. “It’s important for the hockey community to recognize that and embrace it to help Matthew’s family.”
According to New Jersey State Police, the Gaudreau brothers were riding their bicycles on a road in Old Mans Township around 8 p.m. on Aug. 29 when a man driving an SUV in the same direction struck them from behind while trying to pass two other vehicles. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the driver, 43-year-old Shawn M. Higgins, is charged with DUI, two counts of vehicular homicide, reckless driving, possession of an open container and possession of alcohol in a motor vehicle. He is being held pending a hearing on September 13.
The brothers have been celebrated on various social media platforms since their deaths. Their sister, Katie Godrow, who was due to get married the day after her brothers were killed, posted happy family photos on social media.
Over the weekend, an Instagram video titled “Birds for the Gaudreau Boys” surfaced over a clip of Johnny Gaudreau opening his winter coat and revealing an Eagles jersey as he went through security before an NHL game. She also posted a tribute to a family slideshow titled “That Day,” in which she wrote, “I would do anything to tell my big brothers I love them one more time.”
Her soon-to-be groom, college hockey player Devin Joyce, wrote about his promise to “take the best care of my sister.”
He added: “I know I’ve never said it, but I love you guys so much. I’m so lucky to call you my brothers.”
© 2024 The Canadian Press
